Greener anesthesia cuts operating room emissions in half, slashes anesthetic costs nearly 40%

A new study presented at ANESTHESIOLOGY 2026 reveals that hospitals can significantly reduce both the environmental impact and financial costs of surgery by modifying routine anesthesia practices, particularly by decreasing the use of high-emission anesthetic gases. The research demonstrates that these green anesthesia approaches cut operating room emissions in half and reduce anesthetic expenses by nearly 40% without compromising patient safety. This breakthrough offers hospitals a practical pathway to enhance sustainability while improving their bottom line. For patients, these changes mean access to equally safe surgical procedures with reduced environmental consequences and potentially lower healthcare costs.